Hamerkop is a pair of Baltimore-based sound nerds, one of whom hails from Christchurch. Annabel Alpers (formerly of Bachelorette) is a composer, singer and instrumentalist; Adam Cooke is a Baltimorean drummer and audio engineer.

Their new work, Remote, is a live, multiple-speaker, surround sound experience. The project began as an exploration of the beauty of sound, inspired by Alpers’ collection of field recordings from her homeland and beyond. The resulting work still contains the pop sentiment of Alpers’ previous work in Bachelorette, anchored by Cooke’s minimalist drumming as she expands her use of experimental textures and vocal layers.

In Annabel’s words, “My intention is to create a live sonic experience that encompasses the audience, and is as cathartic for you to listen to as it is for me to make. I'm inspired by the beauty of my remote homeland, New Zealand, which I miss so much when I'm away. I'm also inspired to find beauty in parts of everyday life - patterns and forms, mundanity, longing, excitement, nature (tamed and untamed), connections, fragility... (the list is endless) - and attempt to communicate this awe to you, through music.”

Listen to Radio New Zealand's interview with Annabel Alpers about her project, 'Remote'. https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201844555/annabel-alpers-fka-bachelorette-brings-surround-sound-experience-to-nz

Praise for 'Remote':

Why should you care about any of this? Because Alpers has calmly and quietly built a substantial cult following around the world, producing some of the most arresting and distinctive pop music ever made in this country. Grant Smithies, Stuff, 18 June 2017

“From her very first EP as Bachelorette in 2005, Annabel Alpers was lauded by local music critics. Her first album, Isolation Loops, prompted Gary Steel to write in Metro: ‘Alpers’ imagination makes most songwriters seem like dullards.” Gareth Shute, The Spinoff, 20 June 2017